1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and an information processing method. Further, the present invention relates to an image output system having a plurality of image output apparatuses such as a digital copying machine and a laser printer connected to a network, a method of controlling an electric power consumption of the image output system, and a storage medium therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a conventional image output apparatus such as, for example, a digital copying machine, a laser beam printer (LBP), a facsimile apparatus is connected to a network, and a personal computer that is connected to the network transmits documents and image data to the image output apparatus to print out them.
A conventional image output apparatus as mentioned above is generally constructed such that if the image output apparatus is not operated for a predetermined period of time by operating a control panel, etc., the supply of electric power to a fixing device or the like requiring a large power is stopped in order to shift to an energy-saving mode (power consumption-saving mode) for suppressing the electric power consumption in the entire apparatus.
In a conventional image output system having a plurality of image output apparatuses connected to a network as a unit, however, the conditions for shifting to a power-saving mode depend on each apparatus, and this makes it difficult to control the entire electric power consumption in the image output apparatuses connected to the network.
For example, if two printers are connected to many personal computers with one printer being activated or operated and the other being in the energy-saving mode, the printer in the energy saving mode is normally operated if another personal computer outputs an image output signal.
If the printout is not urgent, it is possible to wait for a current print job of the activated one printer to be finished and then have the printer produce a next output. Particularly if a thermal roller fixing device with a large thermal capacity is used, the conventional way of output control, in which the fixing device in the energy-saving mode at a low temperature is heated repeatedly, needs to be improved in view of saving energy.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an image output system, a method of controlling the electric power consumption thereof and a storage medium therefor, which make it possible to properly control the electric power consumption in a plurality of image output apparatuses connected to a network.
It an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an image output system, and an electric power consumption controlling method for the image output system, which are capable of reducing the electric power consumption required for outputting images.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides an information processing apparatus comprising receiving means for receiving image data, sensing means for sensing a state of a plurality of image output apparatuses, and selecting means for selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received by the receiving means according to the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by the sensing means such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
Preferably, the selecting means selects the image output apparatus according to a size of a job based on the image data received by the receiving means and the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by the sensing means.
More preferably, the selecting means selects the image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption for the size of the job.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides an information processing method comprising a receiving step of receiving image data, a sensing step of sensing a state of a plurality of image output apparatuses, a selecting step of selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received in the receiving step according to the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses sensed in the sensing step such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a storage medium which stores a program for controlling an image processing apparatus to receive image data and selectively supply the received image data to one of a plurality of image output apparatuses, wherein the program includes a receiving module for receiving the image data, a sensing module for sensing a state of the plurality of image output apparatuses, and a selecting module for selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received by the receiving module according to the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by the sensing module such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides an image output system in which a plurality of image output apparatuses are connected to an information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises state sensing means for sensing a state of the plurality of image output apparatuses, and wherein the image output system controls operation of the plurality of image output apparatuses in such a manner as to reduce an electric power consumption of the image output system as a whole according to the sensed state of the image output apparatuses.
Preferably, the image output system further comprises an image processing apparatus for transmitting image data to the information processing apparatus, and wherein the information processing apparatus has selecting means for selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data transmitted by the image processing apparatus according to a size of a job based on the image data and the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by the state sensing means such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
More preferably, the selecting means selects the image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption for the size of the job based on the image data transmitted by the image processing apparatus, and wherein the image output system activates the selected image output apparatus into a standby state when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus is not in the standby state, according to the state thereof sensed by the state sensing means.
Also preferably, the selecting means selects the image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption for the size of the job based on the image data transmitted by the image processing apparatus, and wherein the image output system switches the selected image output system to another image output system when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus cannot be used, according to the state thereof sensed by the state sensing means.
Preferably, the information processing apparatus is capable of selecting and setting an electric power consumption value of each of the plurality of image output apparatuses per unit time during a waiting period from a plurality of values.
Also preferably, the information processing apparatus is capable of selecting and setting a temperature of each of the plurality of image output apparatuses to which a temperature of a heating member of the image output apparatus is to be controlled, from a plurality of values.
In a preferred form of the image output system, the state sensing means senses the state of the image output apparatus selected according to the size of the job.
Alternatively, the state sensing means senses the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses in predetermined timing.
Further, the state sensing means may sense the state of the plurality of image output apparatuses in various manners, for example, it may sense the state of each image output apparature, based on at least one of an atmospheric temperature thereof, a temperature of the heating member thereof, elapsed time from a completion of a last job of the image output apparatus, and how much or whether energy is saved for the heating member.
Alternatively, the selecting means selects the image output apparatus designated by a user in preference.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a method of controlling an electric power consumption of an image output system, which transmits image data from an image processing apparatus to an information processing apparatus, and outputs the transmitted image data from one of plural image output apparatuses connected to the information processing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption for a size of a job based on the image data transmitted from the image processing apparatus, sensing a state of the selected image output apparatus, and activating the selected image output apparatus into a standby state when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus is not in the standby state, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus, and switching the selected image output apparatus to another image output apparatus when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus cannot be used, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a storage medium which stores a program for transmitting image data from an image processing apparatus to an information processing apparatus, and causing the transmitted image data to be outputted from one of a plurality of image output apparatuses connected to the information processing apparatus, the program being executed by a CPU in the information processing apparatus, wherein the program comprises a module for selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption suitable for a size of of a job based on the image data transmitted from the image processing apparatus, a module for sensing a state of the selected image output apparatus, and a module for activating the selected image output apparatus into a standby state when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus is not in the standby state, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus, and switching the selected image output apparatus to another image output apparatus when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus cannot be used, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus.